A leader of Dakota College at Bottineau is among five finalists to be the next president of Dickinson State University.
In-person campus visits are scheduled for the week of March 17, a news release from the North Dakota University System said. The State Board of Higher Education will interview the candidates in person March 27 on the Dickinson State campus.
The finalists are:
- Jeff D. Borden, dean of the School of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University
- Scott Molander, managing partner of Garage Living and SKINS Compression
- Carmen Simone, campus dean and CEO, Dakota College at Bottineau
- James Taylor, vice president for statewide campuses, Utah State University
- Jodi Washington, executive director, student services initiatives, Broward County Public Schools in Florida
Fifty-four candidates applied to replace Stephen Easton, who resigned in July after a contract dispute with nursing faculty.
It is anticipated that the new Dickinson State president will assume office in July 2025, the news release said.
Ty Orton, executive director of the Dickinson State University Heritage Foundation, is the acting president; no interim president was selected.
Dickinson State was the only college in the University System to see an enrollment decline in fall 2024. It reported 1,410 students.
